Orthopaedic Markets in Western Europe 2010

22 Nov 2010 • by Natalie Aster

LONDON – “With many medical device and equipment sectors suffering from recessionary pressures in government and private health spending, the orthopaedics market remains strong and is expected to grow by 5% over the coming period.”

The orthopaedic market is set to continue to grow at a faster rate than the overall medical market, although growth over the next five years is likely to be lower than prior to 2009. The main factors fuelling the market are the rising elderly population and a corresponding increase in musculoskeletal disorders requiring orthopaedic treatment. The 65 and over age group, which has a much higher incidence of musculoskeletal problems, is growing at four times the rate of the overall population with even higher growth for older age groups. There are currently some 74 million people aged 65 and over in Western Europe and this number is expected to rise to 124 million by 2050.

Within the EU-15 countries, around 60% of the market is supplied by products manufactured by EU member countries, whilst 40% is imported from outside the EU, principally the USA and Switzerland. Production of orthopaedic devices by EU member countries was in the region of €3.7 billion in 2009, with artificial joints accounting for 41% of output and orthopaedic & fracture appliances 59%. Germany is the leading EU producer of orthopaedic devices followed by France and the UK. Ireland has also seen a rise in manufacturing activity in the orthopaedic sector due to the activities of several multinationals, most notably DePuy, Stryker and Zimmer.